The Bioassay Core will provide biochemical assay, FAGS analyses, histological, and immunohistochemical services for the individual projects within the Program Project. Bioassays that will be performed include analyses in blood, plasma, tissue, and urine for human, rat, and mouse samples. The following assays will be performed: Plasma renin activity, angiotensin II, aldosterone, nitrite/nitrate, cGMP, 8-isoprostane, antioxidant capacity, TSARS, albumin, creatinine, electrolytes, lipid panels, metabolic panels, endothelin-1 (ET-1), leptin, adiponectin, insulin, glucose, norepinephrine, epinephrine, and inflammatory markers including IL1. MCP-1, siCAM, CRP, IL6, IL10, TNFa, siCAM, TNFR1, TNFR2. Techniques will include radioimmunoassay, radioenzymatic assay, HPLC, colorimetric and fluorescent ELISA, FAGS analyses of lymphocytes and mononuclear cells, and ion-selective electrode analyses as well as ET receptor binding assays. Moreover, the Bioassay Core will perform histological analyses including H&E staining and immunohistochemistry of renal tissue sections. The core will also provide resources for development of additional assays as needed by individual investigators. Quality control of all assays, improvement of techniques, and establishment of reliability and validity of new techniques, maintaining records and data entry of all results to the projects will be handled by the Bioassay Core. This will lead to increased productivity among the projects of the Program Project.